Jan.5, 2004

By Alex J.Walling

For a guy who really wasn’t sold on this ‘internet’ or ‘on-line’ business a few years ago I’ve become very fond of my keyboard and plan to use it a lot in the upcoming year to write, write and write more.

By most standards I would be considered a little left of centre or different in so far as I have done things, for the most part, my way, most of my life.

Most kids will try 4-6 careers before they settle (for 10 or more years) into one.

I never had that problem. From a young age (10-12) I knew what I wanted to do and pretty much have done it.

I wanted to be in radio either as a dee jay and/or sports person. I started as an 18 year old dee jay in 1965 and have been in the business, one way or another since.

It will make three years next month that I sold a business that I started in Halifax as the Atlantic Broadcasting and later changed to the Atlantic Media Institute.

It was sold to a triumvirate of Clary Fleming, Tory Michaels and Garry Barker.

One day, out of the blue (sounds like a commercial) one of these guys asked me if I was interested in ‘selling it all’ and after a chat with my wife I did.

The reasons for selling were two fold. The first is while many had expressed interest in buying the business when it comes down to it very few have the interest and capital for what really is a very specific industry.

Secondly, and just as important, was the fact that if I was to do ‘anything else’ in life I could not do it while I was committed to the career college. There are many benefits in being your own boss but there are also some drawbacks and if you are a hands on owner like me, even with very good people, one does not get a chance to leave for an extended period of time and certainly does not have the time to start a new career, especially after you turn 50.

Most folks don’t know what they want I am the opposite as there are so many things I would like to do. In order to try them I sold.

I always wanted to try and own a ‘small’ little seasonal business. I’m now convinced there is no such thing.

In doing a TSN story in Bathurst, NB a few years ago, on a hot May Sunday afternoon, I came across an ice cream store (L’igloo) that did very well and I said ‘ummm, ice cream, it can’t be that hard’.

Two years later, after talking to buddy in Bathurst and others who failed and succeeded I was in the ice cream business with a trailer on the Bedford Highway. After two seasons there I sold the Bedford business last month.

Last year (March 2003) I leased a great location on the Halifax boardwalk (Bishops Landing) and decided to become an ice cream baron. Let’s just say that I will not be driving any Cadillac anytime soon.

I actually like the ice cream business (we have 100 flavours at Scoops & Shakes) and I satisfied my music kick by getting a jukebox which I play often and it’s full with 50’s and 60’s tunes.

But what about the other non-ice cream months (October – May)? Well here are some resolutions.

The main thing I will do in 2004 is write.

I write for my sports website, Sportsite.ca

Write for this site.

Write for some freelance publications.

Write for tsn.ca (weekly column)

Write for 97.9 radio (a daily sports comment)

And for this upcoming year I will write or start on, not one, but three books.

And right now I am writing to start up a high school sports paper.

So much for being semi-retired.

Finally, I am currently writing a new proposal for a community radio station. Yes, I submitted one back in August but for several reasons I chose not to enter the fray of radio applicants that will appear in Halifax in March as the CRTC holds public hearings.

I liked the application that I sent in but, as they say in the NFL, ‘upon further review’ I could do better and pulled it back. I’ve done this ‘applying for a radio station thing’ before and I want to do it well.

I’m thankful I have a few people helping me out one of those is long time media man Al Hollingsworth.

Can’t you see it now, a community radio station featuring the two of us? My daughter has the name of the morning show, ‘The two old fogies’. It has a certain ring to it.

I will deal with the station in a future column but it will be ‘easy listening’ in nature and will feature lots of talk, news, and current affairs.

So that application will include lots of writing and it will be submitted within 90 days. It may mean that we will have to appear out of town for a hearing and if that is the case so be it.

Those who know me know that I am a big believer of local radio and I mean local and ‘human’.

These days one of the best local stations in town is Seaside-FM. I caught a gentleman this past Saturday (Bruce Ward I believe) who sounded great and more impressive was the fact that I got the signal in a location of Bedford that usually doesn’t have it.

If you like radio then the internet can provide you with a cornucopia of stations.

The internet has and is changing the world. Any of us can get so much information and communicate with people anywhere on the planet via ‘the net’.

I view the net as the world’s greatest library that is being updated, hourly.

While I don’t consider myself a guru on ice cream, thanks to the net I’ve become very aware of the product that consumes my life for a few months and the net has given me many ideas that in the past I would either not known about or would have cost me a bundle to travel and get the info.

Same with writing a book. The info on the net is for the most part either at your disposal, or can be made available with the stroke of a few keys.

As for one last resolution for 2004 I would like to lose, let’s say, 25 pounds and I think I should challenge someone publicly who is in a similar position that is being overweight, out of shape, receding hairline and no waist and I’ve come up with the perfect ‘non in shape and overweight specimen’ and he, like myself is at times overbearing and opinionated, none other than Rick (Hotline Host) Rick Howe.

Time to take the challenge Howe.